The Temple of Isis
by Dawn-Lehane
Summary: Marissa and Alex meet, when the tide is about to turn for both of them. AU Roman Empire
1. I’d rather die

**Author's Notes: **This is my first Malex fic. So, be gentle! Also, this is in the Roman Empire times. Not sure exactly when. I kept some of the laws (like if a woman has 3 children when her husband dies, she's free. And adultery is punished with death), but also discarded some (like females not having forenames, that's just silly). And if I got something wrong, then I'm sorry. Just, you know, don't throw any rocks at me or anything, 'kay?  
And let's pretend that they're talking in Latin.  
**Disclaimer:** if I owned the show, things would be different. Alex and Marissa would be together for one thing...

* * *

**Chapter One – I'd rather die**

'_Our ancestors, in their wisdom, considered that all women, because of their innate weakness, should be under the control of guardians._' – Cicero

The sun was shining brightly and everyone around her were screaming and laughing. She noticed a boy and a girl playing, while their mother seemed to be shopping for new slaves.

The weather and everything around her just didn't fit her mood. Her father had been patient with her all these years. She should've been married years ago. For Goddess' sake, she was 17 and had been ready to be wed since she was 12. Her father had been patient. She knew that. But she just knew she couldn't please a man, like her father or future husband would want.

The skinny girl sighed a little as she finally made it to the Temple of Mother Isis. A Priestess walked to her, smiling. "Marissa, have you come to pray?" she asked.

Marissa nodded. "Yes. And I must talk to you when I'm done."

The other woman nodded, still smiling. Something about her smile always calmed Marissa down. Even if just a little. "And what would you like to be given to the Mother?"

"Warm bread and some flowers please," Marissa answered. She started to walk towards the praying room.

"Marissa, wait. Someone is already there. You can come to my room and we can talk, if you wish," the priestess said. She reached out her hand a little.

Marissa shook her head. She had to go talk to The Mother now. "No, I don't care who it is in there." And with that, she stormed towards the praying room. It was just one big room, very well lit and had a big statue of Isis. Isis, of course, was wearing Roman clothes.

Kneeling down in front of the statue, was a blonde girl. She was wearing the usual clothes a upper class Roman woman was supposed to. But for some reason, her hair was down. And it was messy.

"Please, do hurry," Marissa said, looking at the girl. She was rude, as usual. She was the only girl in the family, and the youngest, so she was used to getting everything she wanted. Her father and her two older brothers had spoiled her for her whole life.

The girl ignored her. She spoke her prayers, and in Egyptian now, not wanting the other girl to understand. She then stood up slowly, turned to Marissa and smiled a little. "You are not the only one who needs to pray." There seemed to be a purple streak in her hair.

Marissa cursed herself as she saw the girl. She was just gorgeous, and she had the most amazing eyes. "I'm sorry," she said. "I just…I was a little upset." She frowned slightly as she noticed the purple streak in the other girl's hair.

"That's alright," the other girl answered with a smile. "I'm Alexandra, but please call me Alex. Or, actually anything but my real name is fine."

"I'm Marissa, and I really am sorry. Can I make it up to you somehow? Like, we could go to the tavern. If you're willing to wait, " Marissa said. If she was to be wed to some ass of a man, she at least wanted to try get a hold of this girl in front of herself.

"I'd like that, Marissa," Alex said. "I must talk to the priestess anyway, so I wouldn't mind waiting for you." She gave Marissa a small smile and walked out of the praying room.

Marissa watched the other girl walk out and disappear behind the white curtains. She walked up to the statue of Isis. She kneeled down and looked up. "Mother, please, I beg you, change my father's mind somehow. I do not want to get married to a jerk who doesn't love me. And whom I don't love. I know I'm the emperor's daughter and all, but I don't feel that way about men. I know my father has been patient. And I really am thankful for that Mother, but to be honest I'd rather die than get married."

Alex had been talking to some women at the temple. She had missed Rome. Egypt was a beautiful country, but her hart belonged to Rome. Since she was 12, she always said that Rome was her true love. A month after that, her father and mother sent her to Egypt. And now, 5 years later she had returned.

"I'm sorry it took me so long, I had to talk to the priestess," Marissa said, as she walked to Alex. She smiled a little.

"That's alright," Alex said with a smile. "Where shall we go? I haven't been in Rome for five years. So much has changed. "

"Five years? What made you stay away from Rome for that long?" Marissa asked. She started walking towards a tavern that was near the temple. "I know I couldn't stay away for that long. Rome is my one true love."

Alex smiled. She had always thought that she was the only one to say that. "Really? I've said that since I was 12 or something. I thought that I was really the only one who would say something like that."

Marissa giggled a little. "My father told my stop talking about such rubbish when I told him that. He likes Rome, but he said that I'll find a man once I'm old enough and fall in love with him. He could have not been more wrong."

"My brothers used to tease me about it. Like said 'Went kissing with your lover again?' and made these kissing noises. Boys. Ugh!" Alex said with a small smile as they stepped into the smoky tavern. The place was full of men, mostly rich and very drunk. It had always amazed Alex how people could get so drunk so early.

Marissa scanned the tavern. She noticed right away that she and Alex were the only females there. After looking around a little, she found a table near the door. They both walked over and sat down. "I like something about this place," she said out of the blue, while looking around.

Alex looked around, frowning a little. "Well, there's nothing like seeing old upper class men, mostly Senators, getting drunk and making a fool out of themselves. So I get what you're saying." She smirked slightly, looking at Marissa. "This is what I missed about Rome. It's the only place you can see something like this happening."

Marissa smiled. "I'm going to get us something to drink. What you want?" she asked as she stood up.

"Wine is good," Alex answered. She felt a little guilty for not going back…Well, she wasn't even sure back to where. Was it home? After being away for five years, she wasn't so sure. She came back just last night, and felt a little guilty for not going to see her best friend right away.

Marissa soon returned to the table with a goblet of wine and something water-like in the other one. She gave the wine to Alex. "So, what's with the streak?" she asked.

Alex smiled as she took the wine. "It happened as an accident, really. Jodie, my best friend was visiting me and we were doing some painting. Well, she dyed my hair purple a little and after getting some off, so it wouldn't be like stone, the streak stayed. And I thought it was kind of cool. So I kept it." She shrugged her shoulders a little. "What's that?"

Marissa smiled a little. "This?" she asked, raising her own goblet. "It's vodka. Something new. But it's a lot stronger than wine and beer, so I like it."

A fat man, who seemed very drunk, came to the girls' table and sat down next to Marissa. "Hello, pretty thing," he slurred. He put his arm around Marissa's shoulders. "Why don't you tell me a little about yourself."

"How about you go and talk to someone else?" Marissa tried to push the man away, but he had a strong grip on her. And since she was a lot skinnier than he was, he was also stronger.

"I think she made perfectly clear that she doesn't want to talk to you," Alex said, looking a little pissed off. She slowly put her hand under her _palla_ and gripped a knife.

"There's plenty of me to go around," the man said, looking at Alex with a disgusting smile. He then looked at Marissa and tried to kiss her.

Alex narrowed her eyes and quickly pulled out her knife, placing it onto the man's throat. "Get. Lost," she hissed, pressing the knife a little deeper.

The man's eyes widened and he shot up, feeling more sober than he had been in days. "Alright, alright. I didn't mean any harm." He looked at Alex like she was psychotic, and then went back to the bar to get drunk again.

"Thanks," Marissa said with a little shaky voice. She looked at Alex and smiled. After a few seconds, she started drowning her vodka. "So, tell me about yourself," she said as she finished her drink.

"I've lived in Egypt for the last 5 years. My father made me marry a man there. He was alright. Said we'd have 3 children and then stop. So I could be free once he dies. So we did. I have three daughters. Lydia who is 5, Fran who is 4 and Adrienne who is 3. My husband died a few months ago in war. And I came back here yesterday," Alex said. "Right now I live with my mother, father, older sister and brother. I'm the youngest. I have three brothers- Seth who's the youngest. He is the sweetest and funniest guy I know. And his drawings are simply amazing. Then there's Ryan. He tried to act all tough and everything, but he really has a sweet and kind hart. We used to play together all the time, when I was younger. And he always protected me. I guess we get along the best. And I have sister called Anna. She's sweet, has two daughters and a son and is a great mother. Unlike me. And my eldest brother is Trey. He is such an ass. He used to tease me and Anna all the time when we were younger. That's why he and Ryan got into a lot of fights. I'll really feel sorry for the girl he's going to marry, because he's the only one who hasn't been married yet."

Marissa had been listening quietly to Alex. "You have an interesting family. And a big one. I just have two brothers. Luke and Zach. They're both really sweet. They're always there for me. And then there's my best friend Summer. She's practically family." She didn't want to tell too much about her family to Alex, because she didn't want to scare the other girl off. Her father had kept her away from everyone for a while, so she could live as normal life as possible.


	2. Wanna go make out somewhere?

**Chapter 2- Wanna go make out somewhere?**

_That country girl has witched your wishes,  
all dressed up in her country clothes  
and she hasn't got the sense  
to hitch her rags above her ankles. _-Sappho

* * *

Marissa and Alex had been drinking and talking for a few hours. Actually, Marissa had done most of the drinking. Alex had just sipped a little wine.

By now, Marissa was rather drunk. "You know what?" she asked as she sat down next to Alex and put an arm around the blonde girl. "I think you're pretty…pretty. And hot. And you have the most amazing eyes I have ever seen." She smirked a little. "Wanna go make out somewhere?"

Alex smiled. "Oh, yeah. Everyone just wants me." She smirked and stood up, bringing Marissa up with her. "I should take you home." As she looked at Marissa, she noticed that the smaller girl had passed out. She put Marissa onto the bench for a moment, but then picked her up. "Come on, then" she mumbled as she walked out of the tavern.

In about 15 minutes, Alex arrived at her house. She quickly walked to her room and put Marissa onto her bed. She sat down next to the other girl and smiled a little as she moved some hair from Marissa's face.

"Damn! You are _amazing_. You've been back here for less than 24 hours, and already you have girl in your bed," Jodie said. She smirked a little and hugged Alex. "Hey, whore."

"I'm not a whore," Alex said, hugging Jodie back. She let go of the other girl. "She's drunk. And unlike you, I don't take advantage of drunk girls. Besides, you're the one who has had 3 husbands. Plus, the number of your mistresses is bigger than the army." She crossed her arms.

"Hey! I've gotten rid of all of my husbands nice and clean. No one even suspected that I had nothing to do with their death. Besides, it's not my fault that I'm so damn hot. No one can just resist me," Jodie answered as she and Alex walked out of the room. "And that was just once. Are you going to rub it in for my whole life?"

Alex made a face. "Duh! Of course," she said.

"Aunt Jodie," a small girl yelled as she ran to Jodie and hugged her leg. She looked about 5 years old and had dark brown hair and deep blue eyes.

Jodie picked the girl up. "Hey, Lydia. Let's go and steal some cookies from Kirsten," she said and smiled. "And let's leave your mother to make out with a new girl."

"One, how come my daughters never get that excited when they see me. And two, I'm not going to make out with Marissa. She's asleep. And drunk," Alex said, frowning lightly.

"Yeah, riiiight. Who are you trying to fool, mother?" Lydia said to Alex, rolling her eyes. "I learned a poem by Sappho today. Want to hear it?" She turned back to Jodie with a smile.

"Stop corrupting my daughter, Jodie!" Alex called. She sighed a little and walked back to her room.

"Me and Lydia are here to steal cookies and maybe some other goods with a lot of sugar in them," Jodie said as they walked into the kitchen.

Kirsten was just reading some scrolls at the table. "Here. Freshly baked and warm," she said, handing Jodie the plate. "Just don't tell Alex or the other girls I gave them to you." She smiled a little.

Jodie walked outside, put Lydia onto a bench, and sat down next to her. "High five," she said with a smirk as the smaller girl high fived her. "Now, let's get high on sugar."

Lydia giggled as Jodie started to stuff her mouth with the cookies. Jodie was totally her idol.

* * *

"Morning, Sunshine," Alex said with a smirk as she noticed that Marissa is up. She smirked a little and sat down onto her bed.

"Please, have mercy and kill me. My head is about to explode," Marissa said and put a pillow onto her head. Suddenly her eyes widened and she peeked out. "We didn't…"

Alex shook her head. "No. You passed out at the tavern and I carried you here, since I have no idea where you live." She smirked a little. "You've done something stupid while drunk, huh? Who did you screw?"

Marissa threw the pillow at Alex. "My head is killing me. And so are my mother and father if I don't get home soon. I was supposed to go home right after visiting the temple." She sat up. "Did I do or say anything stupid?" She had a habit of picking fights and kissing strangers when she was drunk. And causing a lot of drama. Can't forget that.

Alex smirked. "Well, I don't know if it was stupid...But you did say that I'm pretty pretty, hot and have the most amazing eyes. And then you asked if I wanted to make out. Right after that, you passed out."

"Could you please give me the pillow back?" Marissa asked as she lay back down onto her bed. She cursed herself for drinking last night.

"Well, if it's any comfort, I think you're pretty hot too," Alex said and stood up. "Want me to walk you to your house?" She wanted to see Marissa again; there was something about this girl she liked.

Marissa shook her head. "Nah, that's okay. I just really hope that no one has noticed that I'm missing." She stood up. "Or, hey, you can kill me now. Before my head explodes."

"Come drink something downstairs, then you can go," Alex said. "Non-alcoholic," she added as Marissa made a face.

"Okay, that sounds good," Marissa said with a smile.

* * *

Marissa walked through the huge doors of her castle. She froze as she saw her mother' very angry face. "Um…Hello, mother."

"Look at yourself! Your hair is a mess, you're wearing the same clothes you wore yesterday. And let's not even talk about your face," Julie said, tapping her foot a little. "Do you know how worried I was? Where have you been? I swear, one of these days you're going to pick up some nasty disease from a prostitute and die." She took a deep breath to calm herself. Marissa was driving her crazy.

Marissa looked at her mother. It always amazed her how Julie could say so many insults in one breath. "I went to the tavern with a friend and passed out. She took me to her house and I slept there," she answered. "I'll go and have a bath and let some slaves dress me and make my face. Does Caleb want to see me?" She crossed her arms. She knew very well that Caleb wasn't her real father.

Julie sighed. Her daughter was impossible. "Just go and make yourself look good." She gave Marissa a last look – more like a glare- before walking off.

Marissa sighed a little and headed to the garden. She stripped and got inside the bathtub. She closed her eyes and tried to ignore her head and thought about the man she was going to be marrying. But after a few seconds of thinking about him, she frowned a little and her head seemed to get worse. As she tried to clear her head of all thoughts, thoughts of Alex entered her head and a smile appeared on her face. She really liked the blonde girl.

* * *

Alex shooed her slaves away, after they had finished doing her hair. She stood up and picked up a black cat and started to pet it. She sighed a little, as she started to think about Marissa.

"Hey, slut," Jodie said as she walked into Alex's room. She was carrying Lydia and eating a cookie. "So, how was she?"

"Jodie, what are you doing here?" Alex asked. The cat jumped off her lap and Alex crossed her arms. She loved Jodie, but the girl was a worse slut than she was. And that was something.

"Corrupting Lydia, of course," Jodie answered with a smirk. "I've already told her how two girls have sex, how a guy and a girl have sex, what's a vagina and penis and what a sexy lap dance is like."

Alex stared at her best friend, her mouth wide open. She could not believe that Jodie would talk about something like that to her **five**-year-old daughter. She wasn't such a great mother, –she just usually let her slaves take care of her daughters- but she still cared about them. And five-year-olds didn't need to know about sex.

Jodie started to laugh. "Oh Goddess, you should see your face. I didn't tell her about all of those things. I didn't tell her how guys and girls have sex. That's just boring. Besides, I saved you from the talk. You should be thankful."

"She's five, Jodie!" Alex yelled.

Jodie shrugged. "And your brother, the evil one, is a total dick. He made a rude remark about me being a whore when I was talking to Lydia earlier. He so shouldn't use words like that near Lydia."

"What's a dick?" Lydia asked Jodie.

"Penis," Jodie answered.

"You shouldn't teach her things like that," a voice came from the door. It was Ryan. He was wearing a big smile on his face. He had missed Alex a lot. "Come here," he added.

Alex ran to Ryan and hugged her tightly. "I missed you so much," she whispered. She put her head against Ryan's upper chest and closed her eyes.

Ryan kissed Alex onto her head, while wrapping his arms around Alex. "Missed you too, sis," he whispered with a smile. Alex was his favorite sibling and he had always gotten along with her the best. They used to play together all the time, when they were younger. And until Alex moved to Egypt, they were inseparable.

"Excuse us while we go and gag," Jodie said and stood up. She headed to the door.

"Yeah, excuse us while we go gag," Lydia said as she and Jodie walked out. "You know what, I don't think I'll ever do the whole relationship slash falling in love thing. I'll just get some and then get gone," she told Jodie.

Jodie smirked and pretended to wipe a tear from her eye. "My little girl's all grown up. I have thought you so well."

"Are Anna and Seth coming here?" Alex asked as she looked at Ryan. She pulled away from him a little.

"I'm taking you to Anna's house. Seth will be there, too," Ryan said. She picked up Alex and ran downstairs. "I'm kidnapping Alex, mom," he called out.

"That's nice, honey," Kirsten called out, dully.


	3. A Little Too Much Blood

**Author's Note: **When you read, **please review**. Because if there are no, or very little reviews I'm not going to post the next chapter. **  
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Chapter 3 – A little too much blood**

_The beating heart of Rome is not the marble of the Senate. It is the sand of the Colosseum. _- Gracchus.

Marissa looked at herself from the mirror. She gave herself a small nod, like saying she looked okay, and headed downstairs. She wanted to look good, since she was going to go see Alex again. "I'm going out," she called to no one in particular. She knew very well that her mother was out somewhere and so was her so called father. Sometimes, she wished she could have a caring family. Like Alex seemed to have. But on other times, she knew she was better off like this.

Marissa looked back at her castle, as she walked off. She hated this place. Most of her childhood, she had been trapped inside it. She used to watch how other children played on the streets and laughed. She always used to dream about that. To laugh. To really feel happy.

Marissa shook her head slightly and started to walk faster. She knew she didn't have too much time left. After about 15 minutes, she reached Alex's house. She knocked onto the door and waited for someone to answer.

After a few moments the door flew open and Alex smiled at Marissa. "Hey, there," she said. "Come in," she added and stepped away from the door. She was glad to see Marissa again, even though, she wondered what the girl was doing with her all the time.

"Some good gladiators are fighting today. I thought we could go watch that," Marissa said as she walked into the house. She looked around a little and noticed that Ryan was playing with Alex's daughters.

Alex looked at the direction of Ryan, too and smiled. "He got bored of me, so he started to play with the girls," she said with a smile. "And aren't you growing tired of me? I mean, we have been hanging out for the last week. Almost all the time."

Marissa bit her lower lip a little. Was Alex already growing tired of her. "No," she said, disappointment audible in her voice. "Are you?"

Alex quickly shook her head, as she noticed the disappointment in the other girl's voice. The truth was, if she could've spent more time with Marissa, she would have. "No, of course not," she said.

Marissa smiled. "Good. Let's go then?" started to walk out of the house.

"Yeah," Alex said. "Ryan, I'm going out," she called to her brother and followed Marissa out of the house. "Do you go to watch gladiators fight a lot?"

Marissa shrugged. "Yeah, I usually do. When I was smaller, my father always dragged me and my brothers along. So I guess it's sort of a family tradition. And the only fun I had when I was a child. I'm pretty sure my father just wanted me to love violence." She looked at Alex, panicking a little. "You don't like the fights? Because if you don't we don't have to go. I just thought that…."

Alex cut her off. "Don't worry. I like the fights. Just not too much of them. And since I haven't been to one for years, it would be nice to go. But can we go to the beach afterwards?"

Marissa's frown turned into a smile. "Beach sounds good," she said. They started to walk towards the Colosseum.

* * *

Alex and Marissa walked out of the Colosseum. Both girls had enjoyed the intense fight that took place between two Rome's best gladiators. Alex had even found herself cheering at times. But the end was bloody.

"That was a little too bloody for my taste. The fight itself was great, the blows, the ducking and everything. But a little too much blood," Alex said, looking at Marissa. It was already dark outside. "It's almost time. We should go," she added.

"Time for what?" Marissa asked. She frowned a little, looking at the other girl.

"For the tide to change. It's a little ritual I have for whenever something really major" Alex glanced at Marissa. "Is about to change in my life"

Marissa smiled and looked at Alex. They started walking to the beach, which was near the Colosseum.

As they reached the beach, Alex went over to the water line and sat down onto the ground. She looked at Marissa who sat down next to her, and then back at the water. "The tide just turned," Alex said, quietly. She looked over at Marissa, looking into her eyes.

Marissa smiled, also looking into Alex's eyes. She leaned a little closer to the girl and soon felt how their lips met. Marissa closed her eyes, lost in the kiss. She had kissed a lot of women before, and some men, but nothing had ever felt so wonderful.

* * *

Alex grinned slightly as she thought about last night. It really had been amazing. She closed her eyes and thought about Marissa again. She had been laying in her bed, staring at the ceiling, for the whole morning.

"You finally got laid, huh?" Jodie said as she walked into Alex's room. She was eating some meat. She sat down onto Alex's bed and looked at the blonde.

Alex opened her eyes and glared at Jodie. "No, we didn't have sex. We just kissed." She smiled dreamily and continued. "We went to see the gladiators fight yesterday. Great fight, a bit bloody, though. Then we went to the beach. It was time for the tide to turn. After the tide turned, we kissed. And it was amazing." She sighed a little, grinning goofily.

Jodie made a disgusted face. "Because of you, I can't finish eating my meat. You are seriously way too lame. With all the cute stuff. Ugh. I'll go gag now," she said and stood up. "And your mother wanted to talk to you. Something about visiting Trey's soon to be slave's family." She walked out of the room. "See you later!"

Alex sighed a little and stood up. She really didn't want to spend time with Trey. All of his siblings hated him, but especially Alex. "Mother?" she called as she walked downstairs. She noticed her mother sitting outside and talking to Julie. "Mom? Jodie said you wanted to talk to me?" She leaned against the doorframe.

Kirsten turned away from Julie and looked at Alex. "Yes, dear. Please put something nice on. We're going to go see Trey's bride soon. And please tell him to come downstairs."

Alex made a pouty face. "Mom, do I have to go?" she whined like a five year old. "I really don't want to go. I think I have other plans."

"Alexandra, you are worse than Lydia. Yes, you do have to come. Ryan, Seth and Anna are also coming. Now, chop chop, go tell Trey and then put something nice on," Kirsten said.

Alex sighed over dramatically and turned around. "Fine, mother!" she said and headed to Trey's room, to tell him to get ready. She knocked onto the door. "Ass! Mom said that you should wear something nice." Before Trey could say anything, she headed back upstairs.

"Whore!" Trey said, opening the door. He glared at Alex, he had always hated her sister. She always seemed to be better than him at everything. At school, with parents and even with girls.

"Yeah, yeah, I already know that," Alex called. "But that doesn't change the fact that you're a dick and an ass."

Julie looked at Kirsten, one brow raised. "Does any of your children know that Trey is marrying Marissa?" she asked.

Kirsten shook her head. "No, of course not. Only me and Sandy know. They'll find out later."

* * *

Marissa sighed as she looked at herself. This time, she wanted to look as ugly as possible. "Maybe I should just run off?" she said as she looked at her best friend.

"Don't be silly, Coop. Then you wouldn't see Alex anymore," Summer said and stood up from Marissa's bed. "And maybe you'll get a nice husband like my Seth."

Marissa looked at Summer. "You're right," she said. "Did I tell you how the kiss with Alex was?" she asked with a dreamy smile.

Summer rolled her eyes. "Yes, Coop! For about 100 times! You two kissed on a beach. It was romantic. You are so very much in love. I caught that after the few first times. I'm not that slow, you know."

"Sorry, Summer. I'll try to shut up about Alex now," Marissa said. "I think I'll go see her after the whole meeting thing," she added after a moment of silence. She glanced at Summer who was glaring at her. "Shutting up now."

Summer smiled a little. "Now, let's get you all prettified, so your new husband will like you." She walked to Marissa.


	4. Fucking head case

Thank you for the reviews! Not much news in this chapter, just some foreshadowing and fluff before all the drama and angst arrives.

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**Chapter 4 - Fucking head case**

"_Anger: an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured."-_ Seneca

"Trey! Alex! Come down here right now. We're going," Kirsten called. She looked at Sandy. "Please, Sandy, no stupid jokes."

"Stupid jokes? What on Earth are you talking about?" Sandy said, looking shocked.

Trey walked out of his room, wearing a red toga. "I'm ready. Let's go already."

Alex walked downstairs, she was wearing a purple _stola_ and a lilac _palla_. "I'm here," she said and headed to the door. She walked outside and went to Ryan. She jumped onto his back and wrapped her arms around him. "Let's embarrass Trey a lot, okay?" she whispered.

Kirsten walked outside and looked at her children. "Seth," she looked at him. "No stupid or pervy jokes. No one wants to know about your sex life. And don't talk as much as you usually do."

"Yes, ma'am, " Seth said.

Kirsten looked at Ryan and Alex. "No fists flying, you two. At all. Your fists stay to yourself. Is that clear?" When both of them nodded, she continued. "And, please, behave! Don't embarrass me." She looked at Anna and just smiled at her. She was really thankful to have at least one normal child.

"What? Jodie-slut isn't coming? She practically lives here now," Trey said, looking at everyone.

"She's too busy having hot, steamy sex with Maria. You know, that ex of yours," Alex said with a smirk.

Trey glared at her and then just followed Kirsten.

Alex giggled. "Ha! Did you see his face?" she said, still laughing. She looked at Ryan.

"That was great," Ryan said as he followed his mother, Alex still on his back. "Is Jodie really having sex with Maria? Isn't she married now?"

"Yeah. She told me yesterday that they've been fuck-buddies for a while. Even when she was with Trey," Alex said.

"Ouch!" Ryan said. "Please tell Jodie to stay away from Lindsay, okay?"

"She already knows that Anna and Lindsay are off limits," Alex said. "Don't worry, you get to have Lindsay all to your big, fat self."

"I'm not fat," Ryan grumbled.

"Alex, will you get off of Ryan's back?" Kirsten asked, sighing a little. "You're not five."

"But, mommy, I like Ryan's back. And his back likes me, too," Alex said in a whiney baby voice.

"Why do I even bother?" Kirsten muttered.

* * *

Marissa walked downstairs with Summer. "Good luck," Summer said and hugged Marissa.

"Thanks, Sum," Marissa said. She hugged her best friend back. "Now, go before my mother starts yelling."

Summer smiled a little and walked through the doors. "I want to know about everything that happens," she said before closing the doors.

"Marissa," Julie called. She looked at her daughter. "You look nice." She smiled a little, as Marissa frowned. "Go sit in the living room. They should be here soon."

Marissa stared at her mother. Had she really just paid her a compliment? She shook her head slightly. "Alright," she said and walked to the living room and sat down. She looked at all the slaves who were carrying food and drinks.

"Kiki!" Julie said as everyone walked in. She hugged Kirsten and looked at her children. Her look stopped on Alex. "You must be Alexandra." She reached out her hand.

"Please, call me Alex," Alex said and shook Julie's hand. "It's nice to finally meet you. My mother has told me so much about you."

Julie smiled a little and turned to Trey, who had been just angrily glaring Alex. "Well, come on. Marissa is already waiting. And Caleb will be late, he's really sorry. But you know, being the Emperor and all. He's always so busy." She guided Trey to the living room with her.

Kirsten, Sandy, Seth and Anna followed them, but Alex and Ryan stayed behind. "What's wrong?" Ryan asked as he noticed that Alex was a little pale.

Alex shook her head a little, coming out of her daze. "Marissa. The girl I told you about and kissed. Her name is Marissa," she whispered. "What if Trey is going to marry her?"

"Don't worry, even if she is Trey's soon to be bride, she still likes you. There is no way that a girl would like Trey more than you," Ryan said. "Now, let's go and make Trey look bad."

Alex nodded. "You're right," she said. They followed everyone else to the living room.

"Alex, this is Marissa," Julie said and pointed to Marissa, who was talking to Trey. "I don't believe you two have met."

Marissa looked up and her eyes widened. Her Alex. She couldn't believe that Alex was in any way related to Trey, who seemed to be an ass.

"Hello," Alex said with a nod. It was really hard for her to pretend that she didn't know Marissa. And to not just kiss her. She and Ryan sat down opposite of Marissa and Trey.

"Now, Alex, tell us about Egypt," Julie said. She sipped a little wine.

"It was nice there. The pyramids are truly amazing. And the castle where the Pharaoh lives is incredible," Alex said. "And the upper class women are gorgeous. The wigs, the make and jewelry up is beautiful. Leaves the Roman clothes to shadow. I missed Rome, though."

Marissa just looked at Alex as she spoke and ignored Trey, as he talked something about himself.

"That's nice. I have always thought that our clothing is boring," Julie said. "Why don't you wear Egyptian clothes anymore?"

Alex shrugged. She glanced at Marissa from time to time. "I never really wore the wigs. Just clothes and jewelry. And I do live in Rome now."

"Hello, I'm sorry for being late," Caleb said as he walked in. "Sandy," he said with a nod and Sandy nodded back. "Trey," he looked at the boy.

"Sir," Trey said with a nod.

"Honey, this is Alex. Kirsten's other daughter. She just came back from Egypt," Julie told Caleb.

Caleb walked to Alex and took her hand and kissed it. "Pleasure to meet you," she said while checking out her body.

Alex smiled politely. "Emperor, it's a honor to meet you."

Caleb sat down next to Julie who started to talk about something again.

Alex practically stared at Marissa for a few moments and then stood up. "Excuse me, I need to get some air," she said and walked outside.

Marissa watched Alex leave and stood up. "I'm going to go get some air, too." She quickly walked out, before anyone could say anything. "Hey," she said softly, as she saw Alex.

Alex glanced at Marissa. She was sitting on a bench near the bath. "Hey," she whispered. "How come you didn't tell me you're the Emperor's daughter?" She looked at Marissa, who was now sitting next to her.

Marissa looked at the ground. "I didn't think it's important," she answered. "And I was afraid that when you find out, you wouldn't want to see me anymore. And I really like you, so I didn't want to risk that."

Alex smiled a little. "See, that's where you're a dummy. I wouldn't just stop seeing you because of your father." She looked into Marissa's eyes and took her hand. "I really like you, too."

Marissa squeezed Alex's hand a little and rested her head onto Alex's shoulder. She closed her eyes and sighed softly.

"Trey and mom are probably going to kill me for this, but do you want to get out of here?" Alex looked at Marissa.

"I'd love to. I really don't like your brother. And I don't need to watch how Caleb drools over you any more," Marissa said as she stood up.

"I'm just too hot to resist," Alex said with a smirk. "Beach?"

"Beach sounds great," Marissa said with a smile. She still held onto Alex's hand.

* * *

Marissa quietly walked in from the back door of her house. She and Alex had spent the whole night on the beach, just talking. And kissing a few times.

She quickly walked to her room. She just hoped that her mother wasn't waiting for her there. As Marissa opened her room door, and noticed that her room was empty, she sighed with relief. She went to her closet, took out some new clothes and took off her wet ones. She changed her clothes and started to brush her hair.

Julie walked into Marissa's room. "What were you thinking? Running off with that Egyptian whore like that! I was so embarrassed. And Trey, he was so angry," she yelled. "And don't think you'll be going anywhere, missy."

Marissa looked at her mother and set the brush down. "Are you going to stop me?" She crossed her arms on her chest. "And never call Alex a whore again." She glared at her mother and then walked out.

"She's such a little me," Julie angrily said to herself.

Alex sneaked in from the front door. She sighed with relief when she didn't see her mother. She ran to her room and lay down onto the bed. She closed her eyes; she wasn't really tired, even after spending the whole night on the beach with Marissa.

"You fucking whore!" Trey yelled, as he opened Alex's room door. He walked to her bed and lifted her up, throwing her against a wall. "Stay away from Marissa," he hissed, his face close to hers.

"Or what, big brother? You're going to throw me around some more?" Alex looked at Trey. She knew she was pushing her luck, because her back already hurt from the one blow against the wall.

"Just stay away or you're going to regret it!" Trey put his arm against Alex's throat and pushed slightly. "Tell me that you're going to stay away."

Alex's eyes widened slightly, it was a little hard to breathe. "Are you that insecure?" she whispered.

Trey pushed harder. "Tell me!" he yelled. He pushed his arm a little harder again.

Alex shook her head. She raised her knee and hit Trey into the groin.

"Bitch," Trey hissed. He pushed his arm harder against her throat for a few moments. Then let go and stormed out of her room.

Alex leaned against the wall, holding her throat and breathing hard. "Fucking head case," she muttered.

Marissa knocked onto the open door. "You okay?" she asked, seeing Alex breathe hard.

Alex looked at Marissa. "Trey just almost killed me. Just give me a moment." She smiled weakly.

Marissa looked a little shocked. "What? Why? Oh Goddess, are you okay?" She rushed to Alex and put her one hand onto Alex's shoulder.

Alex smiled; Marissa was adorable. "Because of you. He told me to stay away from you. He's an insecure dickhead. And, obviously, a fucking head case."

"Oh," Marissa said, biting her lower lip worriedly. She was afraid that Alex was going to do what Trey said. And she hated Trey for hurting Alex.

Alex noticed that Marissa looked worried. "Don't worry, I'm not going to do what he said. First off, I like you. And second, I have never listened to Trey and I'm not planning to start now."

Marissa smiled. It was good to know that Alex wasn't just going to stay away because of Trey. "I actually came here so we could go somewhere, but if you want to stay in…"

"Considering the fact that Trey is in this house, I'd rather go out than stay in," Alex said, walking away from the wall. "Where are we going?"

"I was thinking that we could go to one of the public bath houses," Marissa answered.

"You want to see me naked, huh?" Alex teased, smirking. "You do know that we won't be naked, right?"

Marissa rolled her eyes. "We're not going because I want to see you naked. Just thought we could socialize. With other people."

Alex smiled. "Is it okay if my best friend comes with us? She should be over here soon."

Marissa nodded. Even though, she wanted to be alone with Alex. And have her all to herself. "Okay."

"And don't worry, as soon as she sees an attractive girl - or a girl at all, actually- she leaves. We'll have plenty of time to be alone. "Alex smiled. "Want to see some of my paintings and drawings? You know, while we wait for Jodie."

"You do art-y stuff?" Marissa asked. She smiled a little, as Alex nodded. "I'd love to see them."

Alex walked over to a wooden chest that was in a corner. She took out a black and white coal painting. "Just something I did when I couldn't sleep." She took another one. "This is my favorite." The painting just had a upper class Egyptian woman on it.

"It's beautiful," Marissa said. "Is there a story behind it?"

Alex looked at the painting, her eyes glazing for a second. She looked at Marissa, thinking what to say. But as she opened her mouth to say something, she noticed Jodie standing in the doorway. She quickly turned to face her best friend. "Hey." She had one of those 'thank you, thank you' looks.

"Hello there, lovebirds," Jodie said as she stepped in. She sat down onto the bed and looked at Alex and Marissa. "Are you going to introduce us?"

"Marissa, this is Jodie. Jodie, this is Marissa," Alex said. "And we thought that you could come to one of the public bath houses with us."

"Sue thing. Lots of almost naked women, why wouldn't I want to come?" Jodie stood up and walked to the door. "Coming?" she asked.

"Yes, we'll be right down," Alex said and turned to the chest. She put the two drawing away.

"Sure thing. Lydia needs to be corrupted anyway," Jodie said and headed downstairs, after winking at Alex.

"Can I pretend not to know you two, while we are in public?" Marissa asked, looking at Alex. She felt a little weird because of the painting, but decided to ignore it.

"We can pretend not to know Jodie together," Alex said and took Marissa's hand as they started to walk downstairs.

Jodie looked at them. "You are so sickly cute together. Ugh! I can't eat anything today, without the fear of throwing up." She rolled her eyes and opened the door, heading out.

* * *

The girls had been at the bathing house for about an hour. Jodie kept looking around, checking if there were any hot girls. "I'll leave you two lovebirds alone now," she said as she noticed a lonely girl at the other end of the bath.

_"Hey, there, I'm Jodie. You seem a little lonely…"_

Marissa laughed. "Jodie is weird. And a slut."

"Oh, yeah, she is. Both of those things. But she's also a great friend. She visited me the most when I was in Egypt. My family came rarely, but she practically was living there." Alex smiled slightly. "And you can't forget the fact that she's a nut job."

Marissa smiled. "Summer is kinda weird, too. Half the time you can't understand a word she says. But she's a great friend. And thanks to me being you know who's daughter, my only friend."

"One friend is really all you need," Alex said. She leaned against the wall. "Ow!"

"What's wrong?" Marissa asked, concerned.

"My back. Trey threw me against the wall. And he's stronger than I remember," Alex said. She pulled away from the wall.

"Poor thing," Marissa said. She stood behind Alex. "Let me see." She pulled the cloth away from Alex's back a little. "Wow. Your back is just one big bruise." She let go of the cloth and wrapped her arms around Alex. She kissed the other girl's cheek and neck.

"I'm already starting to feel better," Alex said, grinning. "But I don't want to have sex in a public bath house, where people are watching."

Marissa smirked. "We're not going to have sex right now," she whispered against Alex's neck. She kissed Alex's upped back. "Let's just enjoy this." She stopped kissing Alex and leaned against the wall, pulling Alex with her.

Alex leaned against Marissa and placed her hands onto the other girl's. "This is nice," she whispered.

"Mhmh," Marissa agreed. She rested her chin onto Alex's shoulder.

* * *

Alex walked in from the front door, smiling brightly. After going to the bathing house, she and Marissa had gone to the beach. And by now, it was already dark outside. "I'm home," she called.

Kirsten walked out of the kitchen. "You. Me. Talk. Kitchen. Now!" She glared at Alex and then walked back into the kitchen.

Alex gulped. Her mother didn't use full sentences only when she was really angry. She took a deep breath and walked into the kitchen. "Look, if this is about last night, then Trey already tried to kill me for that."

Kirsten was already ready to yell, but stopped. "What? What do you mean?"

"I came home in the morning, went to bed and Trey came into my room. He called me a fucking whore and threw me against the wall. Then pressed his arm against my throat and just pushed. Plus, he threatened to kill me if I don't stay away from Marissa," Alex answered. "My back still hurts," she whined slightly.

Kirsten sighed. "You should stay away from Marissa," she said, looking a little worried. "She's getting married to Trey soon."

Alex shook her head. "No, mother. I'm not going to leave her. I like her and she likes me. I don't care if she's getting married to Trey." She sighed a little. "Can I go to bed?"

"Sure, honey. We'll talk more in the morning," Kirsten said with a small smile. She kissed Alex's forehead. "Good night."

"Night, mom," Alex said. She walked to her room and walked over to the chest. As she opened the chest, she took out the painting of the Egyptian woman. Sighing, she just looked at it.


	5. Do I make you nervous

**Chapter 5- Do I make you nervous**

_Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely._ -Lord Acton

Marissa knocked onto Alex's room door. As she heard Alex call to come in, she opened the door. "Hey," she said with a smile.

Alex looked up from a drawing she was in the middle of making. "Hey," she said with a smile. "What brings you here?"

"I wanted to see you," Marissa said as she walked over to Alex and gave her a soft kiss. "And I've been thinking. I want you to paint a picture of me." She stepped away from Alex. "But add a little Egyptian style to it," she added.

As Alex turned to look at Marissa, the other girl pulled a few strings and her clothes fell onto the floor. She smirked.

Alex looked at Marissa and gulped. "Oh," was all she managed to say. She stood up. "I…I should….um…lock the door. Yeah." She walked to the door and locked it. "So…um…lie down onto the bed."

Marissa grinned and moved to the bed. She lay down onto her right side, facing Alex. "Do I make you nervous?"

Alex looked at Marissa. "A little," she answered. She took her drawing things and sat down onto a chair near the bed.

Marissa took Alex's right hand. "I have complete confidence in you to make me look beautiful." She kissed Alex's fingers, softly and slowly.

"It wouldn't be possible to make you look ugly," Alex said with a small smile.

* * *

Alex entered the castle from the back door. She had been missing Marissa and just wanted to see her.

"Hello, Alexandra," Caleb said, walking up to Alex. "What are you doing here?"

Alex looked up at Alex. She swallowed slightly; for some reason, she didn't like Caleb. "Hello, sir. I just wanted to see Marissa."

"She isn't home. She went shopping with Summer," Caleb said. "But I wanted to talk to you about something. Come on." He put his hand onto Alex's lower back and guided her to his bedroom.

Alex looked at him and sat down onto the edge of his bed. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Trey," Caleb answered. "I don't like him. I agreed to that marriage only because Julie insisted on it. And he does come from a good family, as I'm sure you know."

Alex looked at him, frowning a little. "Where are you going with this?"

"Well, I am the Emperor. And I could throw him into jail or just have him killed for something," Caleb looked at Alex. "If you do me a favor."

Alex nodded, wondering what the favor is. "What do you want me to do?"

Caleb smiled slightly, and Alex thought she was going be sick. That smile didn't look promising. "Have sex with me," he simply said.

Alex's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open slightly. Wait. What!"

"If you have sex with me, just once, then I will make Trey disappear from the picture. Leaving Marissa free," Caleb said. "Yes or no?"

Alex stared at the floor, thinking what to say. She really hated Trey, but she was her brother. She took a deep breath. "Yes," she whispered. She stood up, looking at Caleb.

Caleb smirked and walked over to her. He put his hands onto her upper arms, and then slid his hands down. He started to untie her clothes.

* * *

Caleb stood up from the bed. He glanced at Alex, who was still lying in bed. "I'll take care of Trey as soon as possible." He put his clothes back on. "I need to go to work. Don't mention this to anyone. Especially Marissa."

Alex nodded and sat up, dragging a sheet up with her. "Of course I won't tell anyone," she said.

Caleb took out some coins and threw them onto the bed next to Alex. "That's your pay. Be gone by the time I get back." He looked at Alex and before she could say anything, he had already walked out.

Alex looked at the coins lying next to her and felt tears rolling down her cheeks. She felt so cheap and used. She stood up and quickly got dressed. The tears were fogging her sight a little already. As she walked out of the room, she wiped her eyes. She rushed downstairs as fast as she could.

"Alex," Marissa said with a smile as she saw Alex. "What are you doing here?"

Alex looked up and smiled. She really was glad to see Marissa. "I came to see you," she said and walked closer. It was a little hard to hold the tears back, but with Marissa there she knew she couldn't cry. "I missed you."

Marissa smiled and kissed Alex. "I missed you too." She put her arms around the other girl. "What do you want to do?"

Alex bit her lower lip a little. "Actually, I just came to see you. I have to go and meet up with Ryan. Sorry." She gave Marissa an overly fake smiled and pulled away.

"Oh," Marissa said, clearly disappointed. "Well, have fun with Ryan!"

"See you," Alex said and kissed Marissa onto the cheek. She walked to the front door and walked out.

Marissa watched Alex walk out. She could tell that something was wrong. And it worried her that Alex didn't tell her what. She closed her eyes, sighing.

Alex walked back to her house as fast as she could. She ran up to her room and lay down onto the bed. As she felt the tears burn her cheeks again, she closed her eyes. She just wanted to disappear. She just wanted everything to go away. The only thing she could think of was _Why?_

"Lexi? What's wrong?" Jodie softly asked. She had stopped by to see Alex for a little, before going to see that girl from the bathing house. She sat down onto the bed, looking quite worried.

Alex opened her eyes, looking at Jodie. She moved closer to her best friend and placed her head onto the other girl's lap. "I fucked everything up. Again," she said. She started to sob. "I slept with Caleb."

Jodie looked at Alex, stroking her hair. That gesture had always calmed Alex down; and Jodie knew how Alex loved it. "Wow, for the first time since I started talking at all, I'm speechless," she said. Straight away, she bit her lower lip. Clearly, this was not the time or place for jokes. "I mean, why? He's so old. And ew- a guy."

Alex opened her mouth to say something, but closed it quickly. She just closed her eyes and moved even closer to Jodie's body.

"Okay, sweetheart, we'll talk about it later. Just try to calm down. Get some sleep, maybe?" Jodie said. It hurt her to see her best friend so broken. "I'll stay here," she softly added before kissing Alex's head.

Trey grinned. This was just perfect. He was going to break Alex and Marissa up with this. He walked down the stairs and headed to the Emperor's palace, thinking what exactly to tell Marissa


End file.
